


Rome, Season 1, Episode 4, Stealing from Saturn

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: Rome (TV 2005)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s01e04 Stealing from Saturn, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 01, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and the rest of the series. Complete.





	Rome, Season 1, Episode 4, Stealing from Saturn

Open to a man being tortured. 

Inside a tent, Brutus and the others studiously ignore the screams by trying to make small talk. It’s revealed the torturer is Pompey’s son, Quintus. Pompey goes on about how his son has a knack for gaining information through torture, and Brutus is more focused on the fact he was unaware Quintus had even come.

It amuses me no one but Pompey knew who the torturer was. Obviously, there was some agreed on plan on how to handle things, but this does call into question how clear and open communication between them and Pompey is.

The screaming stops, and Cicero is grateful he can now eat in peace. Pompey is defensive, and dude, no one said anything against your little torturer.

In response to Pompey’s defence, Brutus says with a subtle tone of sarcasm in his voice, “I’ve never heard nor thought otherwise.”

Quintus comes in, and Pompey somewhat sharply orders him to wipe the blood of his face. He asks where the gold is. The answer is somewhere in the north.

There’s a brief argument over whether Caesar has it or not, and it’s decided his scouts have kept it for themselves. Pompey sharply orders Quintus to find the scouts, right away.

It seems for all his unnecessary defence of his son, Pompey doesn’t like him much, either.

No doubt hungry after his torturing session, Quintus finishes chewing the food he managed to grab as he leaves.

I pity the loyal followers who are going to have their food taken away due to Pompey not being able to stand the sight of his son.

There’s a shot of Quintus leaving, a man cleaning a bloody hook, and the tortured man hanging from a tree. Inside, Pompey explains, without the gold, people will soon turn on Caesar, and they’ll be able to swoop back in.

In Rome, soldiers march. The newsreader announces martial law has been declared. When he’s done, he looks around and realises, due to martial law, there’s only him, two guys, and the soldiers. Hee.

Next, Caesar is going into a temple.

Meanwhile, Posca wanders around town.

In the temple, Caesar asks auguries be performed so that the people will know his intentions are peaceful. Pointing out Caesar entered under arms, the head priest warns this rarely produces auspicious auguries. Caesar doesn’t care, and the priest agrees they’ll do it soon.

Meanwhile, arriving at his destination, Posca hugs Atia’s slave, Castor.

On the wall, there’s graffiti of Caesar sucking a penis labelled tyranny. I’m not sure if it’s pro- or anti- Caesar. Someone with a better grasp of the sexual politics of Ancient Rome will have to decipher the implications behind it.

Inside the gated part of the complex, Posca says Caesar wants no shellfish at the party. He gives Castor a guest list. They talk about how Atia is the real first lady of the city whilst Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife, is little more than a living statute.

Castor asks if Caesar is planning to kill the people on the list. Posca answers honestly he doesn’t think so. Castor worriedly informs him, “My mistress doesn’t like surprises.” Heh. I find it amusing he’s less worried about her safety than he is about her getting angry at him due to her uncle deciding to kill her and her children.

Inside, Atia is not happy Servilia is invited. She declares she won’t let Servilia get between her and Caesar. Going over to where Antony is dozing on the bed, she whaps him on the shoulder as she demands to know why Servilia is invited.

I really don’t think Caesar consulted Antony on the guest list.

Antony is a bit grumpy at being waked, but he explains Servilia is invited due to Brutus. Atia tries to comfort herself with the idea Caesar needs Brutus as a symbolic friend and there’s no real love involved. She continues to gently tap Antony’s back, and he finally exclaims, “Dear gods, woman, would you let me sleep?”

This settled, she leaves, and the scene transitions to her and Octavian at a table with Octavia nearby. Showing her obsession with masculinity, Atia insists her son eat goat testicles so, at the ripe age of eleven, he will gain a high sex drive. Telling a slave there’s to be no shellfish at the party, she’s happy when Octavian takes a gagging bite. She leaves, and Octavia comes over.

She asks if their mother had Glabius killed. Octavian answers no, and Octavia wants reassurance. Octavian says he can’t prove a negative.

Actually, negatives can sometimes be proven.

He swears he doesn’t think she did. Swearing she’ll kill Atia if she ever finds out she did, she wanders away.

Octavian really should’ve refused to answer her questions until she took the testicles away and disposed of them.

Elsewhere, Vorena Y takes some grapes to a shrine, trades those for the grapes on the shrine, and then, runs home to give them to Niobe. Strangely, creepy background music plays during this scene.

Paying a woman, Vorenus argues with her about whether now is the best time to have a feast or not. Insisting he can’t start a business without one and that today is auspicious, he declares Caesar putting everyone under martial law is simply to ensure safety

Dropping the argument, she promises to serve him a feast if he gets her a pig.

The Vorenii family does a ritual of feeding one another the grapes as they pray near a bust of Janus.

Next, a man shows up to inform Vorenus that Antony wants his presence right away.

Vorenus comes to see a naked Antony being scrubbed down. The servant/slave who fetched Vorenus is named Cato. In the future, I’m calling him S-Cato.

Insulting Vorenus a few times, Antony points out he could have Vorenus crucified for desertion. Insisting he did no wrong, Vorenus almost insults Antony before catching himself in time. They argue about Vorenus’s rigid worldview and inability to accept change, and Antony makes clear his devotion to Caesar.

Then, Antony asks what trade Vorenus is planning on going into. The answer is an importer, and Antony isn’t impressed. He tries to convince Vorenus to come back.

Despite being tempted, Vorenus is determined he’s going to follow the importer path.

“You grieve me, Vorenus. You grieve me deeply,” sociopathic Antony says with no real emotion. He warns the next time they see one another, he might not be so “kind”.

Elsewhere, Niobe is with a woman who is cutting something. I’m probably happier not knowing exactly what she’s cutting. The signs are mixed, and Niobe finds this unhelpful. The woman suggests, if she knew what secret Niobe was hiding, she’d be able to get a clearer reading. Niobe tells her there’s a child involved, and the woman correctly guesses said child is male. Niobe decides to leave it, and the woman tells her, if it’s any comfort, Vorenus will be rich.

Meanwhile, Atia and Servilia are both getting ready for the party. Servilia is assured by her slave, after eight years of leathery women he found on the field, Caesar will be happy to see a real lady.

In the next scene, Caesar and Posca are discussing the funds to bribe people. Caesar declares he wants to buy their alliance outright rather than just leasing it, and Posca worries about spending so much. He says they’re going to need to kill some rich men soon, and Caesar insists he’s not killing anyone unless absolutely necessary. Posca is not impressed.

Coming out, Cornelia makes a comment about her outfit being appropriate. Like Vorenus, Caesar has no idea how to relate to his wife. Unlike Vorenus, he has no desire to. Ignoring her tone, he answers, “Exactly right, my dear. Regal but not excessively so.”

At the empty feast, Vorenus frets, and Niobe assures him people will come. She advises him to try to smile and not bark at them when they do. Soon-to-be antagonist Erastes Fulmen shows up, and Niobe explains he’s the guest of honour. Hugging Vorenus, Erastes pleasantly greets Niobe.

Then, Lyde shows up with her husband in tow. Her husband is the man who came to see the baby.

As I said, if Niobe hadn’t slept with her brother-in-law, she’d (hopefully) be completely sympathetic.

Niobe nervously states all is well, and Lyde assures her it is. Coming over, Vorenus affectionately greets Lyde before thanking her husband, Evander, for the pig.

At the Julii party, Atia and Servilia do their usual dance of using politeness despite their hatred of one another.

Meanwhile, surrounded by soldiers, Caesar walks down the street with a subtle look of discomfort on his face. Later in the episode, Caesar’s going to have an epileptic fit, and I’m wondering if Hinds intended to give the impression Caesar can feel it coming on and is hoping to stave it off until after he gets back home.

They arrive at the Julii house, and Caesar tells the Juliis not to bow since he’s only their Uncle Gaius. He orders everyone else in the room to lift their heads, too. Amusingly, Antony doesn’t need to lift his head due to him never bowing it in the first place. Wandering around, Caesar politely greets Servilia before making a pointed comment about her son not being with her.

Answering she’s sorry, too, Servilia hopes Caesar will forgive his absence. “He is ever your friend.”

“I understand completely. Please, send Brutus my best regards, and assure him he’ll never have reason to regret our friendship.”

Brutus will, but I wonder if Caesar ever will. When he’s lying dying after Brutus delivers the last stab, does he regret the love he felt for Brutus, or does he use his last coherent thought to hope Brutus will be okay once he’s gone?

Addressing the room, he promises them they won’t either, regardless of past allegiances.

Meanwhile, Quintus and his men ride on horseback. At the gate, one of the men assures the gatekeeper they have no weapons and their trade involves death in general. He’s asked about the men with him, and he claims they’re foreigners who don’t speak the language. They’re let in, and the gatekeeper orders him, “Tell your brutes to stay away from decent women.”

At the Vorenii feast, Erastes and Vorenus talk business and politics. Staring at Niobe, Evander tries to help her and Vorena E soothe the fussy baby.

I wonder what they do when the baby’s hungry and Vorenus is around. Do they both take the baby to a different room and lock the door, or do they think of some excuse for why Vorena E can’t feed him right then?

Upset, Lyde leaves the table.

Back at the Julii party, Caesar and Antony are bored as they listen to the chief auger prattle on. He brings up the rumours he’s heard of Caesar’s opinions on religion. Caesar denies it. He declares religion is the province of priests, and as such, mere soldiers such as him best not interfere.

I read somewhere Caesar was actually some sort of pope; I imagine this line might be funny to people who know more about this.

Atia tries to get her prodigious son to say something witty, and he answers frankly he’s not good at small talk. Atia tries to get Octavia to recite poetry, but Octavia recites a depressing one.

Meanwhile, the feast part is over for the Voreniis. A drunk Lyde is dancing provocatively with someone other than Evander. Vorenus is sweetly dancing with Vorena Y. When he sits down next to Erastes, Niobe’s neighbour friend urges her to get Lyde to leave, and she makes it clear she didn’t think Lyde should have come in the first place.

Niobe says it would have looked odd if she didn’t invite her sister.

After what she did, this is a downright cold thing to say.

The neighbour makes Evander try to retrieve Lyde, and Lyde threatens to tell Vorenus. He asks if she wants them all to be killed, and she wonders why he refuses to love her. Apologising, he tries to calm her. Coming over, Niobe brings up the fact Lyde made a religious vow to hold her peace.

As I’ve said, I find Niobe one of the most sympathetic characters the show has, but I don’t like these scenes.

Snapping she’s kept her peace, Lyde loudly declares Vorenus a blind fool. Realising something’s going on, Vorenus starts to come over. Evander tries to drag Lyde away, and in the process, the bust of is knocked over.

Back to the other party, Caesar spots the chief auger alone. He asks of Posca, “Wife?” After a moment of thought, Posca awesomely produces the name.

Going over, Caesar apologises for missing the wife’s last birthday. Antony is sitting on the other side of the auger. Caesar insists on sending the wife a gift, and Antony just jumps right in with, “Perhaps, she’d accept some money.”

The augur and Caesar discuss an appropriate amount with Antony occasionally chiming in. They come to an agreement, and Caesar declares, “We understand one another.” Antony leaves, and Caesar leans over to tell Posca to make a note.

I don’t think Posca needs to make a note, but doing so, he quietly expresses his opinion of Caesar’s delusion of being Midas. Heh.

At the Vorenii complex, Niobe is cleaning the shattered bust. She tries to assure Vorenus they can get everything dissolved by Janus priests, but Vorenus isn’t willing to throw money at them. He declares this is as clear of a bad omen as they need. He bans Lyde and Evander from ever coming over again, and she doesn’t protest.

Then, Quintus and his men appear. Pressing a sword against Vorenus’s neck, they grab Niobe. When they repeatedly demanding information on the gold, Vorenus keeps insisting he has no idea what gold they’re talking about.

He’s brought up to speed, and he says the wagon is still there for all he knows. Quintus orders Niobe cut, but before this can happen, Pullo shows up. Giving some people outside the complex some money, he says, “A clamour for my beloved friend, Lucius.” Aw.

Quintus and his men hide, and Pullo comes in. He asks, “Why so glum and gloomy?” Then, his soldier instincts kick in, and he pushes the slave woman from last episode, listed as Eirene, back. Going over to Quintus, he asks, “Who’s this, then?”

The treasury story is repeated, and Pullo throws money in the air. As the men to scramble for it, Vorenus knocks Quintus’s head against the table.

Inside, Pullo is tying up Quintus. He has a plan of digging up the buried gold before heading off to sea. Vorenus gets onto him for stealing sacred property and flaunting it. Ignoring Pullo’s correct protest he didn’t know it was treasury money, he orders Pullo to take the gold and Quintus to Caesar. When Pullo expresses his annoyance and hurt at Vorenus’s lack of gratitude for his willingness to share, Vorenus makes it clear he blames Pullo for Niobe almost being hurt in Quintus’ invasion.

Instead of pointing out Vorenus no longer has the right to issue orders, Pullo agrees. He asks Vorenus to come with him, and Vorenus tells him to clean up his own mess.

Near tears, Pullo says, “Fine, then. I’ll be off, then.”

Vorenus makes it clear he expected Pullo gone yesterday.

Pullo salutes. “Good luck to you, sir.” He throws Quintus over his shoulder.

Quintus isn’t the only man he does this to in the series, and I wonder if Ray Stevenson is really strong or if there are effects used.

At the Julii party, Posca extracts Caesar and Antony. Outside, Eirene is huddling in fear, and Pullo deposits Quintus on the ground. He starts with, “Lucius Vorenus said I should come to you-”

Antony’s more interested in the restrained man, and once he realises it’s Quintus, he begins taunting him. Hee.

Treasury exposition is given, and Pullo babbles to Caesar about how he wouldn’t have taken the gold if he’d known where it was from. He starts to explain about Eirene. Caesar manages to get through to the crux of the story: Namely, the current location of the gold. When told, he looks up. “Thank you.”

Inside, the party continues, and Octavian leaves.

Outside, Quintus is ungagged, and he immediately earns himself a kick from Antony. I don’t mind Antony so much when he’s a sadistic jerk to people who are just as much, if not more, as one. Caesar says it’s a shame they meet like this due to his deep respect for Pompey. Then, despite Antony’s protests, Caesar informs Quintus they’re letting him go. He wants to offer Pompey a truce.

Octavian watches, and Caesar says, if further violence is done, it’s on Pompey and his allies. Declaring his father needs no truce, Quintus adds Caesar’s head will soon be on a spike.

Antony doesn’t appreciate this, but Caesar simply orders Quintus be put on a horse.

Inside, Atia talks to Servilia about the looks Servilia and Caesar have been exchanging all night. Then, rather creepily complimenting Servilia’s beauty, she gently strokes Servilia’s face. Removing the hand but still holding it, Servilia insists neither she nor Caesar are interested in one another.

Unsatisfied, Atia asks a nearby Calpurnia if Servilia isn’t beautiful.

“You’re attempting levity, I believe. Forgive me if I don’t indulge in such talk,” is Calpurnia’s somewhat sharp response.

Outside, Posca attaches a note to Quintus. Incidentally, Quintus’s arms are hugging the horse with his wrists tied.

Antony warns Caesar will regret letting Quintus live. “He has a malevolent spirit.”

True, but this a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Caesar answers he doesn’t want any unnecessary deaths.

From what I know of Caesar, he did genuinely care deeply for the poor and made a habit of often but not always forgiving his enemies, but I don’t know if his subtle aversion to harming others is something the historical version had or if it’s been put in to make him more sympathetic and relatable to modern audiences.

He says Antony will go fetch the gold with Pullo. Next, he calls Pullo over. “You’re a thief. A foolish, incompetent thief. But you have served us well in the past. So, we will pretend your foolishness is a species of honesty and let you go unpunished. In fact, I think we shall reward you. I do not like to quarrel with fortune, and clearly, she’s taken you for a pet.”

Finally, he orders Antony to give Pullo a certain amount of money once the gold’s found. Showing if he’s capable of loving anyone, it’s Caesar, Antony answers, “As you wish.”

After Pullo and Quintus are gone, he orders Antony never to question him in front of others again. Agreeing, Antony leaves with the soldiers. Seeing Octavian, Caesar gives no indication of surprise. “Why do you frown, little owl?”

Octavian says Antony has a point about the treaty, and Caesar answers, “Depends on terms.”

“Ah.”

“Ah,” Caesar echoes with proud amusement.

Octavian realises aloud Caesar is going to offer terms Pompey will refuse to accept but will be acceptable to Cicero and the others.

Caesar starts to praise him, but a fit comes on. He freezes. Appearing,Posca gets Octavian to help lead Caesar away.

Inside a room, Octavian worries about Caesar being poisoned, but assuring him it’ll pass in a moment, Posca asks him to please shut the door.

Octavian does, and a nearby slave hears the sound. Octavian asks if a doctor shouldn’t be summoned. Placing something in Caesar’s mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue, Posca answers in the negative. He explains no one will follow Caesar if they know about his affliction due to it being considered a curse from Apollo.

There’s intercuts between the lively dancing of the party and Caesar’s violent seizure.

Outside the room, the slave is listening to Caesar’s laboured breathing.

Inside, Posca tries to wipe Caesar’s face, and pointing a shaky finger at Octavian, Caesar hoarsely orders him to vow never to tell anyone. Octavian does.

The slave sees him and Caesar leave the room together. She doesn’t see Posca leaving shortly after, but even if she did, considering the fact people have no compunctions about having slaves in the room when they’re having sex, I doubt it would have made her reconsider her conclusion of what Caesar and Octavian were doing.

Back inside, Calpurnia gives the impression she knows about his illness when she asks if Caesar is okay. He says it’s nothing serious, but leading him to Atia, she cites tiredness on her part as a reason for them to leave.

As they walk out, he asks if she had a nice time, and she gives the polite, expected answer. Then, he says her he won’t be going home with her. She shows concern over his health, but insisting he’s fine, he declares he has some urgent business.

“Business at night. It is not proper,” she comments.

He says he still has to be ready when it’s time to go after Pompey. She’s surprised Pompey will refuse, and he simply responds, “I believe so.” Kissing her hand, he waits until the liter starts to carry her away before leaving.

There’s a montage.

In the forest, the gold is found.

Servilia paces.

Niobe lies awake next to a sleeping Vorenus.

Octavian comes to a crying Atia. When she doesn’t answer him, he sits down. After he tentatively puts an arm around her, she hugs him. She declares she’s all alone.

Caesar arrives at Sevilia’s, and they begin snogging.

Elsewhere, Pompey crumbles the note, but one of them reads it. They’re curious about the truce, and lying on a cot, Quintus makes a comment about having Caesar and his raped. This prompts Pompey to throw his sore, no-doubt exhausted son out.

Granted, I probably would have done the same thing, but still: He really hates his kid.

Pushing for acceptance, Cierco points out Caesar’s demands of legal immunity and mutual disarmament aren’t unreasonable. Pompey, however, is insulted at the thought of he himself having to disarm, too.

There’s arguing. Chiming in, Brutus points out Caesar hasn’t hurt any of Pompey’s allies or violated his property. Cato correctly states Caesar is trying to drive a wedge between them. Scipio says a truce would buy them time.

Having a hissy fit, Pompey leaves.

Elsewhere, Vorenus is praying at a shrine.

Meanwhile, Evander promises to leave Niobe alone if she tells him she loves Vorenus.

I hate it when characters use ‘tell me you don’t love me/tell me you love the other person’. It always strikes me as emotionally manipulative. If a person voices a desire to be left alone, leave them alone.

Last episode, Vorenus didn’t ask this. He simply said, if Niobe wasn’t willing to give him a chance to try to fix their marriage, he’d leave. It wasn’t a threat; it was giving her an out. If she didn’t think the marriage was worth saving, he was going to respect this.

Pullo comes bouncing in. He stops when he notices his friend’s wife intimately holding another man’s hand.

Niobe swears she loves Vorenus. Then, she notices Pullo, and he quickly smiles at her.

She’s expresses her genuine happiness to see him alive, and he asks where Vorenus is. Answering he’s making amends to Janus, she’s careful to place emphasis on the brother-in-law part when introducing Evander.

Both men sense trouble, but Evander is polite, and Pullo is deceptively friendly.

Niobe offers him water, and he accepts. Both men sit.

Meanwhile, Caesar gets his good auguries. He smiles when he hears the crowd cheering outside.

Fin.


End file.
